After countless warnings about workload, personal life sacrifices, and stress, the class of 2006, now concluding its third week in the MBA Program, "just isn't sure what all the fuss was about."

Above: Class of 2006 Student Micall Rylander Is using her ample free time to brush up on her Japanese.

"I'd love to live abroad, especially in Japan," said new class member Micall Rylander. "Given that I have so much free time in the evenings and weekends, I thought I might challenge myself and brush up on the language. It helps keep my mind stimulated."

Other first-years agree.

"I came to open houses and preview days before I selected the UW," said Bill Karpen. "And all I heard about was the intensity of the workload. However, now that I'm here I've been delighted to find myself with the time to take an evening cooking class. My partner is always looking forward to what I've whipped up in the kitchen by the time he comes home from a hard day at work."

Core faculty, meanwhile, have expressed delight with the quality of the classwork.

"Top-notch," said Microeconomics professor Ali Tarhouni. "Just excellent work. My biggest challenge with this group is going to be selecting just one of them to be my TA for next year. The level of commitment [in the class of 2006] to mastering the material is just amazing. So many qualified people. I hope many of them consider careers in economics ... we need them."

Dr. Martha Pilcher, statistics professor, agrees. "They must be killing themselves with late nights, study groups, and really foregoing the partying," she said. "I worked with some dedicated people at Bell Labs, but this batch is really something. They're prepared, interested, and alert with the material. What a work ethic!"

In addition to Rylander and Karpen, the MBAlmer has learned that many, many other members of the Class of 2006 have engaged in outside hobbies and interests while in the program:

• Mike Allen, a self-described "rabid fan" of Seattle's Championship WNBA team, the Storm, "hasn't missed a home game all year." Allen has also attended more than half of the away games and launched a Storm-focused Web site.

• In addition to his yoga practice, Brian Lane has begun dabbling in black-and-white photography. He is currently constructing a darkroom in his apartment to get the right light balance because "those bastards at Tall's Camera mess up my Zone System image composition."

• Kristi Gray has begun training for the Scripps' National Spelling Bee in May.

	Above: MBA student Mike Allen has yet to miss a single home game of the Seattle Storm.

• Jason Meaux has decided to indulge in a "lifelong dream" and learn to sail. He has joined the Seattle Sailing Club, and can be found on the water "better than 20 hours a week."

Seeking a Class of 2005 perspective, the MBAlmer presented this information to MBAA President Mike Liu. After staring at the data, motionless, for 45 seconds, Liu just muttered, "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"Don't get me wrong, the MBA is a lot of fun," said '06 member Keith Pranghofer. "The accounting stuff is great and the strategy is a quick read. But if I don't do something to really stretch and stimulate my brain, I'll stagnate. That's why I've begun translating the Bible from English into Esperanto - it's a good mental workout after a day at B-school."

"I mean, a guy's got to have goals, right? If you coast, you're dead."